This Green Smoothie Bowl Will Take Your Breakfast to Another Level

By David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl

Consider it #winning your morning meal.

Frozen vegetables aren't exactly the chicest ingredient, given that some of their texture is lost once the veggies thaw. But honestly, they're perfect in smoothies because they make your drink thicker than fresh vegetables do, are often cheaper, and they're available year-round. In this smoothie bowl, the sweet flavor of pear and dates balance out the savory taste of the vegetables—pinky promise it all tastes good—while the avocado adds creaminess and the ginger, lime and coconut water provide a fresh zest to your drink. You can add algae or grass powders for an extra hit of nutrients (and a stunning deep green color), but keep an eye on how much as they can become overpowering in flavor. My suggestion: Start with a 1/2 teaspoon, then add more based on personal preference.

Green Goodness Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

Makes 2 (or 1 large serving)

Ingredients

For the smoothie:

• 1 medium-size ripe pear, seeds removed
• 1/2 ripe avocado, stone removed
• 1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets
• 3/4 cup frozen spinach
• 2 to 4 soft dates, pitted
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon spirulina powder (or chlorella, wheatgrass, or barley grass)
• 1 cup coconut water
• juice of 1/2 lime

For the topping:

• pistachio nuts, finely chopped
• toasted raw buckwheat*
• desiccated coconut
• hemp seeds or bee pollen
• green kiwi fruit, finely chopped
• passion fruit pulp, mashed
• edible flowers, optional

Directions

1. Roughly chop the pear and add it to a blender along with the flesh of the avocado and the rest of the smoothie ingredients. Blend on a high speed until completely smooth.
2. Taste and adjust the sweetness and spiciness to your liking by adding more dates or ginger if necessary, as well as more spirulina if you prefer. Pour into two small bowls or a large one. Finish with a sprinkling of the nuts, buckwheat, coconut, seeds, fruit, and flowers. Serve.

*Toast raw (greenish) buckwheat in a dry skillet on a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until golden. If you have a sweet tooth, try adding a drizzle of pure maple syrup to the pan. You can also purchase sprouted and dehydrated crunchy buckwheat in health food stores.

This recipe and passage was excerpted from Green Kitchen Smoothies by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl (greenkitchenstories.com). For more delicious smoothie options, order the book now on Amazon.